A Chimera's Reaction
by darkling59
Summary: After a betrayal of epic proportions, how does Zelgadis, a newly created young chimera, deal with the residue of inner pain in a suddenly hostile world? On Hiatus
1. Father

DISCLAIMER: Slayers characters, setting, and related materials do not belong to me. Storyline does; DON"T STEAL.

Ummm…yeah; this has been bouncing around in the back of my notebook for a while. It's not remarkably good, but I had it so I decided to put it up as my first foray into Slayers fandom.

Please let me know if you like it.

**_Summary_**: Pain comes in many forms and can be dealt with in many ways. The young chimera, after a terrible betrayal, wrestles with his own inner torment while striving to survive in a suddenly hostile world.

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A Chimera's Reaction:

Chapter 1: Flee

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Running…

Running…

Can't stop.

Fleeing was a familiar feeling, one he had grown to know and even expect since the curse was placed. That was when he'd begun to run, when soft dusky hair and pale creamy skin morphed into sharp lavender wire and rough pebbled stone. His unappreciated humanity lost, Zelgadis had first fled in fear and misunderstanding, to his hometown. It was only when he found his father, a warrior, that he truly understood. When the sword of his own sire struck his unyielding flesh, and _broke_, he knew he was a monster.

That was the second time he fled, darting and dodging to escape the strikes of the townspeople, their torches and pitchforks. He did not then know his new shell could not be destroyed. Down the main street he ran, past the houses of his childhood. Men and women alike, some of whom he knew, ducked inside and screamed to warn others of the 'monster'.

Not a single one noticed salt tears dripping from the demonic eyes, just as none heard his heart tearing under the weight of hatred.

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He ran for hours that first time, more to escape the inner pain then his pursuers. Demonic speed served him well; the human men had fallen far behind less then ten miles outside town.

Well into the night, he finally stopped, collapsing in a panting heap next to a still pond. Almost instantly, sleep claimed him roughly, haunting with nightmare visions. He experienced the pain of a forced chimerical transformation again and again, followed each time by the disgusted look on his father's face as the 'monster' came crashing through his door.

_Monster._ He did not open his eyes the next morning. _He never really liked me, but he called me a monster. What did Gran…? No. What did REZO do to me? I feel cold…like my skin has changed. Come to think of it, my hair feels funny too, almost bent. But how does hair bend? And my reflexes are better. I feel…strong, both physically and magically. This was what he meant by granting me power. But what did he take away in the process? What the hell happened?_

Slowly, Zel's eyes opened and the young man reluctantly raised one altered hand, he could feel something different, to eye level and examined it with horror. His flesh was no long pale and soft, it was darkly colored and hard as rock; with shards of some stiffer substance...granite maybe…set in at irregular intervals, short dark claws tipping long digits where fingernails should have been, trembling now through horror and fear.

"My God…Dammit Rezo, **what did you do to me**!"

He lunged to the pond, almost submerging himself in the water in his haste to find a full reflection. The liquid did not provide a distinct picture, but what he could see confirmed his worst fears. Demonic slitted eyes stared back from above fang-like eyeteeth visible only when his mouth opened. His skin had been turned blue, like slate, and inset with pebbles on the eye ridges, where eyebrows used to be, and around the edges of his face.

Sharply tipped ears, like those of an elf, protruded from the lavender 'hair' that completed the picture, framing the golem's face with a mass of fine wire. If the filaments had been used in metal working, they would've been priceless and beautiful. As it was, they were just another detriment to the former-human's appearance. The rest of his body was much like his face and hand; blue rock skin inlaid with pebble-like shards.

Weak kneed, Zelgadis collapsed, staring with disgust and horror at the monster in the water. No wonder his hometown had chased him away.

"Wh-what did he do to me? What AM I?"

Quietly, all alone on a stream bank miles from any civilization, the newly made young chimera curled up and cried.

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TBC? 

Review!

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I have no idea what to do with this story. In fact, I might not even finish it. What do you think? Shounen-ai or not? AU or not? Should he go back to Rezo (making it a prequel story) or should it descend into a different realm completely? Should I even have other Slayers characters in it? 

And yes, I know this chapter is very short, but I'm not sure of the reaction I'll receive and currently don't have much time to type up what I have.

So basically, this is a sample of what could possibly be to come.

* * *

So lemme know what you think; I'll try to PM and get back to you. Even give a free preview of the next chapter. 

XD


	2. Foreign Element

DISCLAIMER: Slayers characters, setting, and related materials do not belong to me. Storyline does; DON"T STEAL.

Didn't really get enough reviews, but what the hell.

It's Christmas!

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**Last time:**

_"Wh-what did he do to me? What AM I?"_

_Quietly, all alone on a stream bank miles from any civilization, the newly made young chimera curled up and cried._

_

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_

Two days later, he was running again. Uncertain as to how to act; indeed, he didn't even know what he was anymore, Zel had wandered aimlessly. Occasionally he chased prey in the forest or searched for water, but hunting inspired an unusual lack of enthusiasm.

_It must be my …condition_ he thought _I normally love hunting. Not only that, but I'm not hungry or thirsty. A human would be parched and starving in my place. _The transformation weighed heavily on his mind, even as he discovered new abilities, those he had always wanted. Speed, grace, magical prowess, intelligence… there seemed to be no limit to what his new mind could do. Ironically, now that he had everything he'd striven for, all he could think about was what he'd left behind.

Running had become a method of escape, darting through the forest, leaping through trees like an elf, took his mind off his features even as he flaunted the accompanying abilities.

Newfound grace kept him from falling, but not from tiring. It had taken a while for Zel to realize why, but he had finally settled on the explanation that his heavy stone body, for that was indeed what it was made of, was not suited for moving among the high branches.

At every turn there was something reminding the young chimera of what had happened. The few times he fell, the rocky hide forestalled harm; when he hunted, his heightened senses found prey before he moved; when captured, the small animals did not run, there was no instinct to run from a moving stone without hunger; when he pushed or pulled, objects were destroyed for he no longer knew the scope of his own strength.

Even worse, when he attempted to practice swordsmanship (he still had the sword he'd been working with when Rezo cast the spell) and accidentally stabbed himself, he did not bleed. In fact, the sword fractured, nearly broken in two, upon contact with golem skin.

When he rested, having collapsed from exhaustion brought on by days running or physical exertion without sleep (done to distract from his situation) Zel was forced to face the facts; what Rezo had done to him and what he now was. So far, all he had been able to find out was that his body was different. Zel had no idea if he had been hybridized, his soul transplanted, or what. He had cursed himself and Rezo several hundred times; himself for not paying attention and Rezo for keeping so many secrets and being a bastard. Moments of reflection were often short, for although he did not need to eat any longer, he did need to sleep. Or at least had the urge to.

Night and day had no meaning; his new eyes worked just as well lint he darkness as they did in the light and his thick skin, if anything, told him to sleep during the warmest part of the day. Not because the sun would hurt him; stone soaked up heat and his skin was no different; his inner physiology reacted better when warm. Trees were comfortable now as were rocks with the added bonus that he could blend in to escape from predators. Not that there were any strong or willing enough to take him on.

Every change, even the good ones, were greeted with a grieving heart. Zelgadis was terrified of what he had become. The way small shards of amethyst in his skin sparkled when the sun hit held disgust; agility and speed made him fearful of losing the sharpness that comes with effort; strengthened skin made him hide his face with rapidly deteriorating fabric from his clothes; demonic eyes with enhanced vision made him yearn for the dim, blurry vision humans possessed in comparison. Every new development was a detraction from his humanity.

* * *

In the past few days, hiding had joined running as a past time. As a rule, he hid from all humans. Hunters, wanderers and the like would surely attack and destroy him, believing they'd encountered a monster and if he entered a town, he would defiantly be driven out with pitchforks and spells. Provided they didn't try to capture and burn him at the stake. No one would see him as a human; he was only a monster now. 

These were his thoughts and nightmares as he slept sprawled on the boulders, blending under the dappled light. Even if a human had traveled by, they would not see a person, only an oddly marked rock outcropping with strange contours.

Living was a dream, a nightmare. Forever fleeing with only sporadic breaks when he dropped from fatigue: that had become his life. Zel's mind was deteriorating as well. His self-hatred and fear magnified the influence of a foreign element in his mind. One that was violent and demanding One that Zel had not yet noticed but would very soon.

In light of his new lifestyle and with his humanity fading along with sanity, it would take a lot to pull the chimera out of his dream. Only great pleasure or pain could possibly accomplish the goal; unfortunately for Zel, cosmic cruelty chose the second option.

* * *

TBC? 

Review!

* * *

Damn, too many words per paragraph creates a too short chapter. Oh well, next will have more dialogue and thoughts; character development over setting. 

I still have no idea what to do with this story. In fact, I might not even finish it. What do you think? Shounen-ai or not? AU or not? Should he go back to Rezo (making it a prequel story) or should it descend into a different realm completely? Should I even have other Slayers characters in it?

Options are:

(a) He comes into contact with Xellos and is taken as a pet or familiar.

(b) He comes into contact with Amelia and is put in the royal menagerie.

(c) He goes back to Rezo in a non-AU story.

So lemme know what you think; I'll get back to you. Even give a free preview of the next chapter.

XD

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Thank you for your review: 

**shadowanderer**


	3. Bandits

DISCLAIMER: Slayers characters, setting, and related materials do not belong to me. Storyline does; DON"T STEAL.

It's been a while.

I'd really like the thank the few people that reviewed, but unfortunately, not enough have shown interest for me to seriously consider finishing this project.

So, if the disinterested trend continues, Zel won't run into any of the others and he will not be a happy chimera at the end.

Hopefully I'll get more now that we're further into the part of the story I like, but I'm not counting on it.

If you like the story and/or want to see one of the possible endings (the choices are listed at the bottom) you should review because otherwise they won't be put into action.

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_Thoughts and flashbacks are in italics_

_

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_  
**Last time:**

_In light of his new lifestyle and with his humanity fading along with sanity, it would take a lot to pull the chimera out of his dream. Only great pleasure or pain could possibly accomplish the goal; unfortunately for Zel, cosmic cruelty chose the second option._

_

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_

Next chapter:

Twelve days after the …change…Zel had almost become an animal. Few traces of human thought remained and what there was had been devoted solely to personal regrets. Something inside was different. It was almost as if Rezo had put a creature in his head; one with the mind of a dumb puppet, looking and searching for a master with no personal thoughts or identity. Further then that, even deeper within his body, he could feel something deep, devious, and cruel. Zel was becoming terrified of his own mind. Well, what was left of him was.

That was why he did not wake when his sensitive ears picked up the sound of hoof falls. He had taken to hiding in a cluster of large rocks, blending in and trying to fade away. Sounds from the forest penetrated often but were ignored. In fact, this wasn't the only time horses had passed, just the only time he was asleep rather then cringing in the shadows and disguising himself as a rock. The humans always passed by; not one had noticed the extra stone and neither would whoever now passed. Once the familiar noise stopped, pointed ears relaxed and Zel's sleep continued, surprisingly peaceful and dreamless.

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"This is the spot." 

"Here?"

Zel twitched and slitted his eyes open sleepily. _Who's that?_

"Yep."

"It's really secluded."

"No, it's in the middle of a city." Sarcasm. Zel almost smirked. Well, almost felt like smirking.

"Really? I don't see…"

"I'm being sarcastic, Idiot. Of course it's secluded! That's the point!"

_What? _Temporarily drawn out of his shell, the hidden man crept forward silently.

"Oh. Alright. Why?"

"Because we need somewhere to hide the loot."

Carefully lowered ears shot straight up. _Loot? Are these people bandits?_

"Oh yeah! Cuz we don't want the bandits to get it!"

_Apparently not. _More interested in the two men then he had been in anything in two weeks, he crept closer to the light denoting the entrance to his current hidey hole which was, quite literally, a hole in the ground. The little cave had formed between three big boulders and the smaller pebbles and earth that had collected over time in the cracks between them. It wasn't deep, but Zel had been curled in a ball against the back 'wall' so he had few feet or so to move until he could see out.

"No kidding. We don't want them to steal it back."

_Guess they are bandits. Well, sort of. Should I come out? Oh, wait, I can't. I forgot, I'm a monster now. Even bandits will hate me. _Depressed, he lay down flat on his stomach, peering up through the entrance at the two pairs of feet. Any human contact, even if it wasn't intentionally for him, was welcome. Hell, even bandits were welcome if they provided voices and some sense of normalcy.

_Normalcy…_

"Good."

"Good what?"

"Shut up and dump it in the hole."

-_**WHAM**!-_

Zel froze. There was –_something_- on his head. Something BIG and HEAVY. If he had still been a human, his neck would definitely have snapped. As it was, he was pinned rather securely and uncomfortably, fighting not to panic.

_Don't panic. Don't panic. Panic is bad. Panic draws attention. What the hell just happened?_

"Good job! That little crevasse is a perfect hiding place!"

_Aw crap._

"Now we just need to call the others with the rest!"

_Others? The rest? Now what do I do? They can't know I'm here!...Well, alright, they **could**, but I don't want to face that kind of rejection again. Plus, these guys might actually have weapons capable of killing me! And although death doesn't really sound so bad, I'd rather take my own life then allow a few second rate bandits to do it._

_If I move they'll know I'm here. Maybe…I am a rock now, might as well see how far the similarities go. But damn, I wish this stupid bag wouldn't bend my hair. It feels funny._

Mentally grumbling, Zelgadis prepared himself for a looooong wait. At least the humans would provide some amusement.

"Go get everyone else."

"Why?"

"Because they have the rest of the money as well as the camping gear and provisions."

"We need those?"

"Yes, need those! Now, GO!" a bang, a yelp, and a single set of hoof beats took of, vanishing swiftly into the distance.

"While I stay here and guard the loot." Zel groaned silently and rolled his eyes. Wonderful. _I suppose I could always go to sleep…_

And that was what he did. Ten minutes later, he was sleeping restlessly, embroiled in nightmares forever replaying the night he'd been reborn.

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"Hold it still! 

"_**-Growl-**_"

"Steady!"

"What is it?"

A panicked snarl rent the air as the creature struggled against the enchanted chains confining his limbs and magic.

"Who cares? Something that looks like _that _**must **be valuable!"

"FIREBALL!"

A vague grunt of pain and a step backward were the only responses, but they were enough.

"Keep at it! It's going!"

Slowly, their strongest spells pushed the creature back.

"The cage! One more shot!"

"FIREBALL!" three fireballs shot out at once, throwing the fighter into the reinforced cage with a pained yelp.

"Got it!"

"Close the door!"

"YES!" a ragged cheer went up, voiced from every throat but one.

* * *

Zelgadis lay on the cage floor, staring at the chains in shock. The burns could be felt, but his stone skin didn't allow the heat to damage anything vital. 

_How could this have happened?_

Still in shock, he closed his eyes, huddling up as he had several days ago in his small cave.

Before all hell had broken loose.

* * *

TBC? 

Review!

* * *

What do you think? Shounen-ai or not? AU or not? Should he go back to Rezo (making it a prequel story) or should it descend into a different realm completely? Should I even have other Slayers characters in it? 

Options are:

(a) He comes into contact with Xellos and is taken as a pet or familiar. (2 votes)

(b) He comes into contact with Amelia or Phil and is put in the royal menagerie. (1 vote)

(c) He goes back to Rezo in a non-AU story.

Remember, any less then 10 reviews and you get the depressing ending. SO let me know what you think.

So lemme know what you think; I'll get back to you.

XD

Thank you for your review:

**Earth Star**

**Shadewanderer**

**Chibi Tanny**


	4. Capture

DISCLAIMER: Slayers characters, setting, and related materials do not belong to me. Storyline and OCs do; DON"T STEAL.

Gone a loooooooong time this time.

Sorry but I had quite a few things to do, a busy (and long) vacation of sorts (I didn't stay at my house so it counts as a vacation), nagging family, jibes at my life, a feeling of failure that refused to go away, and a massive writer's block to top it all off. Not to mention I'm setting up a GS fanfiction submission site and a personal site.

Come visit me! The GS site is _www. freewebs. com/hziz_ and my personal site (with lots of tidbits from bunches of series that never made it to ffnet) is _www. freewebs. com/darkling59_ . (remove the spaces and cut/paste the links)

I'm probably going to be updating more regularly and with better edited chapters on my sites; ffnet has been screwing up what I send them.

Not only that but a massive heat wave has been wreaking havoc on the animals. The other day, our oldest rabbit had a seizure while I was holding him. I don't know why but I know he was in a lot of pain. I'm really hoping he'll get better but he's just so old…

Bleh.

But now that I'm finally getting my act together, I'm hoarding my updates. At some point there will be one massive update of all eight of my active stories (two YGO, one Slayers, one Surface, four GS) and possibly a revamp of my POTC one-shot in honor of the second movie (which was awesome).

Er…yeah.

Oh, and I'm changing my offsite screenname. While I will remain darkling59 on ffnet, my writing name on gaia will be hziz and on my website will probably alternate between the two.

Same goes for if you want to chat or just say hi, pm me at _hziz. _My other account (darkling59) is still active but it isn't where my fan fiction is being posted.

Honestly, I was shocked by the reviews I got last chapter. I guess more people are following this than I thought!

0.0

Thanks guys!

Oh, and this is your last chance to vote on the eventual outcome.

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**Last time:**

_Zelgadis lay on the cage floor, staring at the chains in shock. The burns could be felt, but his stone skin didn't allow the heat to damage anything vital. _

_**How could this have happened?**_

_Still in shock, he closed his eyes, huddling up as he had several days ago in his small cave. _

_Before all hell had broken loose._

_-------------------------------_

_Two days before:_

Footsteps and hoof falls coupled with raucous laughter woke Zelgadis up long before the bandits actually arrived with the rest of their loot. His ears were pinned with the rest of his head but the vibrations resounding through the ground notified him of the fact that there were many more than he'd originally thought.

_I could leave now. There's only one guard and I doubt he's expecting an attack from in here. But what would be the point? It's not like I have anywhere to go and I don't want to kill anyone. _The young chimera gasped at a sudden pang of intense want; a feeling almost strong enough to make him snarl aloud.

As it was, he jerked backwards, sliding out from under the heavy bag with little effort. For a long moment, a funny rising sensation in his chest blocked all movement. It seemed to be encouraging him to escape, leap out and kill the guard. At the thought of the bandit's pain, Zel's demonic eyes slitted even more sharply than before.

"Hey! We're here!"

The sound of a voice from outside broke whatever spell was keeping him in place. Shoving the dark hunger to the back of his mind to be dealt with later, once the humans were gone and he was back to his normal schedule of brooding, he crawled the short distance to the back of the cave and pressed himself against the cool surface. He'd be able to blend in back here; the dim light and shadows would hopefully be enough to hide him from prying eyes.

He needn't have worried.

"Hey Tev! We're here!"

"I thought you said we were camping in a city?"

"I was being sarcastic, dimwit."

Snickers and annoyed muttering from the rest of the group made it clear such exchanges were frequent and expected. Zel's lips twitched slightly to reveal one pointed eyetooth in a …well, it was _almost_ a smirk.

_I never knew bandits shared such camaraderie. _He watched absentmindedly as more bags of gold dropped into his cave, decreasing the amount of space for movement. _I always thought they were mindless goons trying to pillage, plunder, murder, and rape. Although actually that's not a very feasible assumption. Bandits like that would have too much pride and not be smart enough to hide; they'd be hunted down and hung._

A loud bang from outside drew a flinch and sharp glare (super sensitive hearing isn't all it's cracked up to be).

"Why you little-." The new voice was nasal and slightly haughty. An instinctive snarl rose to Zel's lips. There was something different about that man, something strong.

He was a threat.

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The Raven's Tooth bandits were bloodthirsty, ruthless, and unafraid to kill even their own parents for gold. Or so they said.

It was a load of crap.

In reality, they were three out of work mercenaries, five former pick pockets, four mediocre sorcerers, and seven middle aged farmers who'd gotten tired of paying taxes and figured highway robbery was a good alternative lifestyle. They made a living not by attacking towns and travelers like most bandits but by infiltrating other groups and stealing their treasure.

So far they hadn't pissed off anyone strong enough to retaliate with any force.

_At least not yet. _One of the sorcerers, a bitter young man by the name of Nelm, scowled at his companions as they set up camp. His lank mouse brown hair framed a thin face made much thinner by a crooked nose and eyes magnified by giant horn-rimmed glasses.

"Let me get this straight; you put our treasure in a hole?"

"Yep." One of the two scouts, a dark haired idiot with limbs like tree trunks and the attention span of a gnat, answered cheerfully.

"Did you at least check to see if there was anything alive in there?"

"What would be the point? We're in the middle of the woods, why would someone be out here? Besides, it's too small to fit a person."

Nelm resisted the urge to rip his hair out by the roots as Siver, a cocky, over bright sorcerer with multi-colored hair who just happened to be the other scout, answered him.

According to Siver, the different colors helped him focus his magic. If you asked Nelm, he would say the other man got a kick out of using as much hair dye as humanly possible.

"How can you know how big it is if YOU DIDN'T CHECK?"

Siver just laughed and flipped him off, returning to his self proclaimed duty of harrying the ox-like Tev.

_Idiots. If there is something dangerous down there, I'm going to laugh when it eats those two. Especially Siver._

Covering up his unease with a sneer, the nasal voiced mage returned to setting up the camp.

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Zelgadis stayed in the small cave for almost two days. Most of the time, he was pinned between the rock surface and the heavy bags of gold but while it was uncomfortable, it was not debilitating as it would have been for a human. The chimera did not become hungry or thirsty, was not crushed by the weight, and did not suffocate in the enclosed space. In fact, the only ill affect of his confinement was a growing case of claustrophobia.

_I guess my new instincts don't like being confined like this. _Truthfully, the feeling was a purely human reaction but Zel was too far gone blaming everything on his new body to notice. The thought of his instincts brought to mind a fairly important question that had yet to be answered. _What am I anyways? Gr-REZO-_

It was becoming easier to think of the red priest as 'Rezo' rather than 'Grandfather'.

_-did something to me to make me different and since I'm still about the same size and shape despite my changes, he probably modified my body._

So engrossed in thought was the youth that he did not notice when voices approached the cave's mouth less than four feet away.

_So that means I'm some kind of hybrid or chimera. _His ears drooped mournfully. _ And judging by all my conflicting instincts, the answer is the latter. But why is my human self still in control? And what exactly am…are my…um…components?_

He shifted uncomfortably at the thought.

"What was that?"

Long blue ears shot straight up, parting the wire tendrils of hair easily.

"What was what?"

"Something back there moved."

"Maybe there's a rabbit in there!"

_A rabbit?_ The voices were familiar and after a moment's consideration, Zel was able to place them.

_The bandit scouts. They must be packing the treasure in preparation to leave._

"A rabbit? Maybe; but it sounded too big."

A whispered incantation and a strange tangy smell were the only warnings Zel got before a floating ball of light burst into life over his left shoulder with a clap that sounded like thunder to his elfin ear, temporarily deafening him.

With a pained snarl, he shot forward, all precautions forgotten.

"A monster!"

"Sound the alarm!"

"What alarm?"

"Kill it!"

"NO! Catch it!"

"WHAT?" the resounding howl of surprise from the bandits brought him back to his senses about ten feet from the cave, surrounded by swords and in the middle of their campsite.

"I said, CATCH IT! Magical creatures are worth a fortune!"

Demonic eyes widened in horror at the prospect. _Oh crap._

He attempted to run but was driven back by the spells of four people, magic users. Alone they would have been easy pickings but together they were well able to slow him down.

Chains somehow found their way to his wrists and ankles before he could form a coherent spell. Spelled, he realized. They smelled just like the glowing ball of light had; tangy with a little bit of burning and darkness thrown in.

_Huh. I never knew darkness had a smell…_

"Fireball!"

"Oof!"

Something big and hot sent him stumbling a few steps back.

"It works!"

"Fireball!" This time it was echoed four times over. The blast was proportionally larger and more painful.

With a snarl, the chimera whirled to face his attackers only to be hit once again with searing heat.

Although his rocky hide didn't allow him to be seriously hurt, the force sent him staggering backwards just enough for what felt like the metal lip of a cart to hit the back of his knees.

_What is-?_

"Keep at it! It's going!"

_I…what are they trying to do?_

The onslaught of spells coupled with the confining chains left him dazed and bewildered for several minutes too long.

"The cage! One more shot!"

_Cage?_ Horror surged through him, lending a surge of adrenaline…but it was too late.

"FIREBALL!"

This time, the combination of three spells at once coupled with the metal behind his knees and around his limbs was enough to knock him on his back with a pained sound. The surface he landed on was not the stones and grass of the forest floor he had been expecting.

It was the wood and metal floor of an enclosed cart.

"Got it!"

"Close the door!"

He heard the bandits' ragged cheer from a distance as he frantically pulled at the chains and observed his surroundings.

Slowly descending into shock, his mind could barely absorb the situation.

He had been trapped. Poached and caged like a wild animal

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And that was how Zelgadis found himself chained hand and foot inside a cage for humans to gawk at. Worse, the cage had been parked in the main marketplace of a nearby town so more people would be able to see him.

The containment unit was small, cramped, and ridiculously well spelled. Thick wood interspersed with spelled metal and orihalcon comprised all but one side; the worst section.

_Bars. _Mournful and with more than a hint of bitterness, Zel once again surveyed his situation. _They're treating me like an animal. Is that all I am now? Some kind of magical beast to be bought and sold at the whim of others?_

"Goddamit!"

One of the bandits swore, drawing the chimera's attention from his gloomy ruminations.

"What's wrong?" the strongest bandit sorcerer, called Nelm by his companions, entered the area in front of the cart. He gave the chimera a cursory once over to make sure he was still there and helpless before devoting his attention to the conversation. "The creature making trouble?" Zel's eyes narrowed with hatred.

"Him? Naw, gentle as a lamb. That's part of the problem."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we're trying to sell it as a golem."

"Yeah, so?"

"So the few people rich enough to actually consider buying it are smart enough to know it's not a golem! Either that, or they have smart people working for them."

"There hasn't been any interest at all?"

"One or two came over to see him but as soon as they got a glimpse of his eyes they took off."

"Why? I think they make it look exotic."

_Exotic. _Zel gazed at Nelm in disbelief. _I look like a monster!_

"Are you kidding? Those are mazoku eyes! One reason we want to get rid of it as soon as possible!"

"Well, not much more we can do tonight."

"Guess not."

The two men strode away murmuring quietly. If he tried, Zel would have been able to hear them but he didn't care enough to strain.

_I didn't think so. Who would want a freak like me? Not that I want to be sold or anything, I just…I don't know.  
_

Curling himself into a tight ball, more for minimal privacy than warmth, the chimera drifted into uneasy slumber.

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It was several hours later that Zel awoke and it was not a peaceful process. The sense of something wrong, someone watching him, permeated all the way to his dreams. Instantly awake and alert, he could smell the magic in the air; feel it make the stone of his skin itch and crawl.

And it all originated from one figure.

"Well now," the one outside raised a single hand to the bars, drawing a confused snarl from the cage's occupant. "What do we have here?"

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TBC?

Review!

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This is one frickin' long chapter. And I don't like it. Let me know what you think please. Constructive criticism is welcome as are character corrections.

Can anyone guess who the person outside Zel's cage is?

What do you think? Shounen-ai or not? AU or not? Should he go back to Rezo (making it a prequel story) or should it descend into a different realm completely? Should I even have other Slayers characters in it? **_Last chance to vote!_**

Options are:

(a) He comes into contact with Xellos and is taken as a pet or familiar.

**_(10 votes: 5 shounen-ai, 5 unspecified)_**

(b) He comes into contact with Amelia or Phil and is put in the royal menagerie.

**_(5 votes)_**

(c) He goes back to Rezo in a non-AU story.

**_(1 vote)_**

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Lemme know what you think and I'll send you a free preview summary of the next chapter!

XD

Thank you for your review:

**Phizzy-chan**

**Yakumo**

**Earth Star**

**Shadewanderer**

**Anubis**

**Sasha Rin**

**Kinomoto-san**

**Lina Gabriev**

**Furubalover9-12**


	5. Sale

DISCLAIMER: Slayers characters, setting, and related materials do not belong to me. Storyline and OCs do; DON'T STEAL.

Final results of the voting!!!!!

_(1) He comes into contact with Xellos and is taken as a pet or familiar (shounen ai) - _**8 **

_(2) He comes into contact with Xellos and is taken as a pet or familiar (non-shounen ai)-_**10**

_(3) He comes into contact with Amelia or Phil and is put in the royal menagerie- _**7**

_(4) He goes back to Rezo in a non-AU story- _**1**

NOTE: I did receive two more votes for Xellos/shounen-ai but not until after I'd counted them up and written the current chapter so they didn't count.

So, based on the results of the voting, I'm continuing the story as a non-shounen ai Xellos-finds-Zelgadis story.

Not sure how good this chapter is; there are some parts I like, some I loathe and a few pivotal sentences and paragraphs got slaved over because of shoddy structuring in the first draft.

However, I think it's workable now.

Hm….what else….oh!

I might continue the other choice on my site eventually (Zel+Amelia, Zel/Xel, etc.) because I'm still interested in the ideas but that will probably take several months at the least.

Sorry this is so late. I hit a major writers block when I cut back on my sleep (not enough time for it any more) and when I tried to cut through it by posting the first chapter of this story on a different site, I got less than spectacular reviews. In fact, the only one I got was a particularly nasty flame. It kept me from posting for a while; another reason this isn't getting up until several weeks after I finished writing it.

I also wanted to post it along with the crossover drabbles story I started which is titled _Ten Places Zelgadis did not Find his Cure_. It's gotten less than spectacular reviews. ;;

Erm…yeah. I think that's all I wanted to stay.

I hope you enjoy the story!

_**Happy Holidays!**_

* * *

**Last time:**

_It was several hours later that Zel awoke and it was not a peaceful process. The sense of something wrong, someone watching him, permeated all the way to his dreams. Instantly awake and alert, he could smell the magic in the air; feel it make the stone of his skin itch and crawl._

_And it all originated from one figure._

"_Well now," the human outside raised a single hand to the bars, drawing a confused snarl from the cage's occupant. "What do we have here?"_

* * *

To Zel's surprise, the man looked amazingly non-descript. In fact, he looked just like any other passerby. His outfit was that of a common priest from the robes to the jeweled staff resting in the crook of his arm. The expression on his face was cheerfully perplexed but… 

_His eyes are closed. _For some reason, this priest, no doubt driven by curiosity to study the 'monster', just felt **wrong**.

"Not human, no, definitely not. But you're not a demon either, are you?"

A fierce snarl, backed by all the rage and anger Zel could muster, was the man's only answer. The sound should have been enough to force anyone away out of reflex if not downright terror but the priest held his ground.

Then he started laughing.

That was when the young chimera's nervousness blossomed into fear.

"My my, you are quite the vicious one, aren't you? But your mask does not affect me. In fact…" Zel watched with dread as the man took a deep breath, seeming to inhale a delicious aroma. When the breath was let out, his eyelids rose and the trapped youth felt his blood turn to ice. "I can TASTE it."

_Mazuko! Those eyes…he can't be anything else!_ Elfin ears flipped back against his head stiffly, quivering slightly. Everything within the chimera recoiled at the ...**_creature's_**…presence. The dull, brutish facet of his mind felt threatened while the sharp, vicious side snarled, challenged by the newcomer. Stone fists clenched hard enough to grind and grate, fracturing the ends of Zel's short claws but magical bindings kept him from any other outward reactions.

_A mazuko…how? What…? Why is he here? What does he want? Me? I'm just a monster, why would he care? I'm not a threat to him…am I?_

"Well?" the monster's eyes opened fully, cheerful expression gaining more than a hint of malicious darkness.

_He's..it's…talking to me?_ A vague shift and restless clatter of manacles greeted the creature's statement. There was no way Zel was actually going to speak to it.

"Unable to communicate then? More's the pity." As slitted eyes closed, the grin returned, sealing the beast back into its mask. "Are you the garbage of a young one? A servant gone awry, perhaps?"

A grunt, muffled but not muted, indicated Zel knew very well what the insult meant.

The grin widened ever so slightly.

"Or maybe an unfortunate freak of nature? An accidental offspring that has no place in the world? I've seen such animals before, you know." Its tone was condescending, almost mocking. Zel could feel the wirse on his head bristle one by one as his naturally short temper reached its limit. "A hurruk's foal I believe it was, at least on its sire's side (1). There was a great deal of reptile and unicorn blood in it as well. I found the creature quite amusing! Would you like to know why?"

The captive audience remained silent. He would have growled but in all honesty he was a bit curious.

"It had abandonment issues that, when coupled conflicting instincts, drove it insane. By the time it was a month old it had killed two thousand humans and countless animals."

A dry rasp, like sandpaper scraping stone, was the chimera swallowing in repulsed horror.

"Of course, it had to be disposed of eventually…that's when I realized it had some human blood in it as well." The monster sighed dreamily in remembrance, resting its chin on clasped hands over the ruby ended staff. "Such lovely screams…"

For a moment Zel thought it had finished, that his lack of reaction had bored the mazuko. _Good thing too…what gives him the right to call me garbage? And he's more of a freak then I am! That story…Bastard…if I wasn't in this cage I'd Ra Tilt-_

"So which are you? Garbage or freak?"

_Oh that is **it**!_

"Look who's talking **monster**!" the chimera retorted through gritted teeth, spitting the last word like a curse.

"So you can talk!" Zel watched its Cheshire grin widen, still angry and itching to fight despite his instincts (which, by the way, were screaming at him to run as hard and fast as possible in the opposite direction).

"And here I thought you were just a dumb animal! Turns out you're a talking rock instead. So what's your opinion?"

"My…what?"

"Are you a freak of nature or the refuse of some newly created brethren?"

"Shut UP!"

In what was possibly the greatest mistake of his life, Zel lunged for the mazuko.

Nothing mattered but smashing in the grinning face of his tormenter, reveling in the darker instincts of his demonic side. Not the bars, not his kneeling position, and not the ensorcelled chains binding his limbs and rendering him helpless.

Quicker than the human eye could follow, the mazuko met his lunge with one of its own and caught Zel in midair, easily slamming him to the floor and jerking him up against the cage bars.

"Now that wasn't very nice!"

"Y-you…" Zel snarled, struggling to rise, only for it to grab the length of chain connecting his wrists and pull it out of the cage, immobilizing his hands up against the bars. "Let GO!"

The chimera was close to panicking. _I can't move! How can he be this strong?_

"Hmmm…" the creature paused for a moment, head cocked, then grinned again. "Nope! Now let's have a look at you."

"Get away from me!" he snarled, snapping frantically at the gloved hand reaching for his face. The other hand was occupied holding his chain down so if he could stave this one off…then what? _It's not like I can escape. Maybe if I yell, the bandits will come to see what's going on._

"Tsk." Snapping fangs gave the mazouko pause, but only for a moment. "Bad boy! I suppose you want to do this the hard way then?"

"The hard…eeauuuughhh!!!"

Chains snapped and clanked harshly as they were pulled taught and pinned to the ground with one foot, forcing Zel into a kneeling position in the raised cart, hands and arms jutting outwards helplessly.

"Wha-?"

Before he could protest, the gloved hand he'd been attempting to avoid grabbed him by the back of the neck and forced his upper body down until the wood grain could be felt through even his stone skin. It was an obeisance position, something a slave might take when ordered to.

Completely helpless, all he could do was growl and choke back whines of fear.

"Good boy! Now what are you?" A loud 'riiiiiiiiiiiippp' denoted the demise of what was left of his shirt right before the other hand, the one that used to hold the chain and was not holding his neck, traced the rocky ridge of Zelgadis' backbone.

_B-bastard! He…no!_

While nearlyincoherent with fear and anger, even in his own head, Zel knew nothing he could do would stop the treatment; the monster was giving him no choice but to submit to the degrading examination.

"I wonder, are these real?" a gloved finger tapped one of the protruding pebbles on his shoulder blade. Zel flinched and steeled himself silently for what he was sure would come next.

Despite his preparation, he couldn't suppress a reflexive jerk and agonized whimper when the mazouko tore the stone right out of his skin.

"Whoops! Looks like they are! Deep too..." a rough finger prodded the open injury. "Fascinating…"

"Let…go…of…me." The words couldn't have been distinguishable, spoken into the floor as they were, but the monster laughed.

"I don't think so. In fact, you might just be interesting enough to keep around for a while."

Mortified, Zel kicked his feet in an attempt to get away. To his surprise, it worked. He scrambled into the darkest, farthest corner before realizing the creature had let him go on purpose and that it had closed its eyes once again.

_He-He can't be serious…he CAN'T buy me! He's a monster! They'll be able to tell. Somehow. Even though I couldn't and my senses are over ten times as good…_

"Your fear tastes delicious you know."

"Get away from me monster!" the depths of the cage didn't feel like nearly enough space between them even with the chimera folded up in his corner.

"Why?"

"I'm not some animal to be bought and sold!"

"Aren't you? And the cage is what, just for show?"

"Shut up! I want nothing to do with you!"

"But I want everything to do with you!"

Zel snarled but didn't move. He'd learned his lesson; he wouldn't go any closer than absolutely necessary.

"Besides, maybe I want a pet. To play with and take care of forever and ever." A mocking tone belied the monstrous priest's cheerful façade.

"Go…away."

"Oh come on."

He lifted his staff and prodded the captive with its blunt end through the bars.

Zel snarled and shrunk back, pushing the offending stick away. "Knock it off!"

"Oh, you don't like this?"

Gritting his teeth at the teasing glare, Zel fended off the staff as it reached for him again.

"Now this is fun!"

A hard jab in the stomach forced the breath out of his lungs and when he bent over to gasp, another caught him in the shoulder.

"Stop it!"

"Oh I don't think so. I'm having far too much fu-!"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Zel almost smiled at the familiar tone. He might not like the bandits but anything had to be better than the slow torture the mazouko seemed to have planned.

_Now it'll have to leave._

A fluttered eyelash that might have been a wink took care of Zel's relief in all of two seconds.

"You are one of this creature's owners, yes?"

"YOU…wait, what?"

"Are you?"

"Erm…I guess?"

"I'd like to buy it."

The bandit blinked in confusion while his captive blanched in horror, opening his mouth to voice his opinion.

Nothing happened.

"Really? Why? I mean…right! How much?"

"500,000,000 gold pieces?"

Zel tried to force a sound, any sound, from his throat but for naught.

The bandit's eyes lit up like dollar signs and he swallowed thickly. "Th-that much?"

"Yep! Here you go!" 'Common robes' were apparently outlets into hammer space because the mazouko easily pulled out an enormous bag of gold and plopped it on the ground in front of the bandit.

"U-uh…yeah! I'll get someone to let it out for you."

"Of course."

As he scurried away, the mazouko, Zel's new 'owner', turned to him and noticed his problem. "Having trouble with your throat? Oh what a pity." He grinned.

_He was holding my neck down before. He DID something to me!_

Zelgadis' mouth shut with a click of rock against fang an angry glare.

"Here he is!" Nelm arrived, trailing his compatriot and angry about being pulled away from his drink at the pub.

"What is going on?"

The other bandit, who Zel now realized was the same one complaining earlier, whispered in the magician's ear.

Both observers had hearing advanced enough to eavesdrop on the whispered summary.

"I see." Nelm walked up to the cage and peered inside before glancing at the buyer.

"You sure about this? What possible use could a priest have for a golem?"

"Golem?" laughter "Oh, he's not a golem; that much is obvious just by looking!"

"Then why?"

"That is a secret!"

Before either bandit could ask more questions, the priest grabbed his purchase by the wrist, reaching further than humanly possible into the cage to reach it, and vanished. No smoke, no warning, nothing…they were just there and then gone.

The empty cage, containing a shredded shirt and stained in places with blood from the chimera's removed shoulder stone, was all that remained.

* * *

TBC? 

Review!

* * *

(1) Not sure I spelled hurruk right but whatever. Hurruks are fantasy creatures, opposites of unicorns in every way. In fact, they're basically evil unicorns with claws instead of hooves, fangs instead of grazers, and extremely nasty personalities. I heard of the species from a book by Tamora Pierce but I don't know if she was the one to come up with it. 

What do you guys think of the chapter? Did I portray Xellos as IC?

**_EDIT:_** I've been notified that my Xel is horrifically OOC. Do the rest of you think so too? If so, how can I make him IC? Are there any specific persoanlity traits or quotes I should include that I didn't? I don't really know Xellos that well...

….and does anyone know of anywhere I can get the second half of season one of Slayers? I've seen the first 16 episodes or so but beyond that…

* * *

Lemme know what you think and I'll send you a pm review response! 

XD

Thank you for your review:

**Phizzy-chan**

**Kinomoto-san**

**Delta VT**

**Furubalover9-12**

**Shadewanderer**

**Yakumo**

**Dragongal**

**RedHerring1412**

**Magic-Noise**

**Tsutsuji**

**TT**

**r.o.s. **


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